Department for Education

Foster Care

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has been made of the likely causes leading to the decrease in fostering applications from 2015-16.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Ofsted report, ‘Fostering in England 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016’, notes that the decrease in applications during this period may be explained by the fact that almost one quarter of agencies (105) did not submit data about their prospective households. The National Fostering Stocktake is exploring the recruitment and retention of foster carers, including barriers to recruitment. The independent external reviewers will report to Ministers with recommendations at the end of the year.

Department for Education: Behavioural Insights Team

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2017 to Question 9963, how much has been paid from the public purse to the Behavioural Insights Team for each project.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The project to increase demand for technical education was commissioned by BIS and is ongoing. The contract value is £220,038.The project to support the communication of the apprenticeships levy and conduct a small scale trial is complete. £208,500 was paid to the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT).The project to encourage high ability students to apply to the best universities was undertaken by the BIT on a pro-bono basis. £1,056 was paid to the BIT to enable access to data to evaluate their approach.

Department for Education: Buildings

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide an update on her Department's move from Sanctuary Buildings to Old Admiralty Building; and what the cost of that move is to date, including refurbishment and consultancy fees.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Old Admiralty Building is important for the government as a large and strategically placed freehold asset. The Department is undertaking the renovation and refurbishment on behalf of the government. The Department will take occupation of the building, following the refurbishment programme. By renovating and upgrading the building, we are maximising the value of this important heritage asset and providing a good home for the department. The cost to date, including refurbishment and consultancy fees is £48.34m.

Families: Counselling

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve support for early intervention family counselling.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The government’s statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children, is clear about the importance that we attach to preventative services. Providing help early, before issues and problems escalate, is more effective in promoting the welfare of children than reacting later. Working Together sets out that local agencies should work together to assess local needs for early help support and should design and deliver services to meet these needs. This includes delivering family counselling services where appropriate. It is right that decisions about the provision of services, including preventative, early help services, are taken locally by agencies that are best placed to plan provision, taking account of local needs and circumstances.The Department for Education’s Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme was launched in October 2013 to catalyse the development of more effective ways of supporting vulnerable children to build evidence of what works. The Innovation Programme is supporting projects that deliver family group conferencing involving the family and extended family members to help make decisions about the best way to support the family and take care of their child. Leeds City Council has been funded through the Innovation Programme to embed restorative practice across children’s services, including introducing an entitlement to family group conferences. Over 600 family group conferences, led by trained co-ordinators were held in 2016, bringing extended family and friends together to find solutions to issues that affect young people and support them in implementing these solutions. The use of family group conferencing has led to savings of c£755 per family resulting from reduced average time spent in the social care system.

Children: Day Care

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons methodology used by the Government to calculate the funding formula for 30 hours free childcare for three and four-year olds with working parents did not draw upon data from HM Revenue and Customs or the General Register Office to help calculate how many children would be eligible for that scheme.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The department’s methodology for calculating how many children would be eligible for 30 hours of free childcare is set out in the Early Years National Funding Formula Technical Note which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-national-funding-formula-allocations-and-guidance. This methodology was used to calculate the initial allocations of funding for each local authority. The final allocation for each local authority, however, will be based on the actual number of children who took up a 30 hour place as measured by the January 2018 census.

Pre-school Education: Pupil Premium

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the take-up rate for the early years pupil premium is in the (a) Liverpool City Region and (b) UK.

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much Early Years Pupil Premium funding remains unclaimed in (a) the Liverpool City Region and (b) the UK.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Details of Early Years Pupil Premium take-up can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/education-provision-children-under-5-years-of-age-january-2017. In January 2017, 103,747 children in England were claiming Early Years Pupil Premium, including 975 children in Liverpool. The Government provides funding at a rate of 53p per hour – up to a maximum of £302.10 per year - for all 3 and 4 year-old children that meet the eligibility criteria and are taking up the 15 hours free entitlement. Local authorities must pass that funding directly on to providers.

Free School Meals

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the difference between the average rate of take-up for free school meals for eligible families in receipt of (a) universal credit and (b) legacy benefits.

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children who will be (a) eligible for and (b) registered to receive free school meals in each year since 2022 as a result of a parent or guardian being in receipt of (i) universal credit or (ii) legacy benefits.

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many working families in receipt of universal credit are (a) eligible and (b) registered for free school meals.

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children qualify for free school meals on account of their parent or guardian's receipt of universal credit.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The department does not hold any data on the take-up rates for free school meals (FSM) split by universal credit and legacy benefits. We also hold no information on the number of children who qualify for FSM on account of a universal credit claim. As indicated in my answer to PQ 7124 to the hon. Member for Birkenhead, on 12 September 2017, the department is working to establish new criteria for determining entitlement to benefits-related FSM as the roll-out of Universal Credit progresses. No decision has been taken yet, and our proposals on this matter will be announced in due course.

Children: Video Equipment

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of (a) the amount of time children under the age of three spend in front of screens and (b) the effect of that screen time on their development.

Mr Robert Goodwill: A large body of research has linked the amount of ‘screen time’ such as watching television, playing computer games, using smartphone apps with negative outcomes for children of all ages. A report by Public Health England (PHE) in 2013 identified links to the amount of screen time and a range of negative health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sedentary-lifestyles-and-too-much-screen-time-affect-childrens-wellbeing. Parents have a vital role to play in their child’s development. NHS advice to parents of babies and older children is to reduce their time in front of the screen and encourage them to be active instead. In addition, the Government is supporting parents to provide a rich home learning environment (HLE) for their children. We have just announced that we will use £5 million to trial evidence based HLE support programmes in the North of England, focusing on early language and literacy. This builds on almost £1.7 million awarded by the department in 2017 to voluntary and community sector organisations to work with disadvantaged or deprived communities. This is to encourage the take up of 2-year-olds places and to engage with parents to create a positive HLE, with a focus on early language and literacy.

Pre-school Education: Qualifications

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will respond to the recommendations in the report by the Sutton Trust, entitled Closing Gaps Early, published in September 2017, on awarding early years teachers with Qualified Teacher Status.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The early years workforce strategy published in March 2017 committed to reviewing the early years initial teacher training routes to make sure we are maximising the impact of the programme. It also committed to considering how wider work on strengthening Qualified Teacher Status could offer positive opportunities for raising the status and parity of early years teachers. The government will provide an update on these commitments in due course.

Pre-school Education

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which early years settings the Early Years Minister has visited since taking up her ministerial role.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which early years settings she has visited in 2016-17.

Mr Robert Goodwill: In 2016 and 2017, the current and previous Secretaries of State for Education and Ministers responsible for early years education and childcare visited the following early years settings, including schools with early years provision.Since taking up her role in July 2016, my Rt hon. Friend, Justine Greening, the Secretary of State for Education visited:North City Children’s Centre, Norwich;Oasis Academy Limeside, Oldham;Francis Catholic Primary School, Birmingham;Seahorse Nursery, Southfields (while on constituency business);St. Michael’s Primary School, Putney (while on constituency business);Granard Primary School, Putney (while on constituency business);Southmead Primary School, Putney (while on constituency business); andRiversdale Primary School, Wandsworth (while constituency business).Since taking up the role of Minister of State for Children and Families in June 2017, I have visited:Orchard Trees Day Nursery, Thorganby;Alice Model Nursery School, Tower Hamlets; andMatchbox Day Nursery, Tower Hamlets.Between January 2016 and June 2017, my hon. Friend, the Member for Gosport, Caroline Dinenage, in her role as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Early Years visited:Co-Operative Childcare Great Western Hospital, Swindon;Playsteps Nursery, Swindon;Sheringham Nursery School, Newham;Liz Atkinson Children’s Centre, Brixton;Co-Operative Childcare Rose Hill, Oxford;The Old Station Nursery, Oxford;St Paul’s Pre-School, Winchester;Abbotswood Nursery, Romsey;The Flying Bull Academy, Portsmouth;Carousel Nursery, Portsmouth; andHadfield Nursery School, High Peak.Between January 2016 and July 2016, my Rt hon. Friend, the Member for Loughborough, Nicky Morgan, in her role as Secretary of State for Education visited:St Rose’s Special School, Stroud.Between January 2016 and July 2016, my hon. Friend, the Member for East Surrey, Sam Gyimah,in his role as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Childcare and Education visited:Millfield Primary School, Ely;Queensmill School, Hammersmith;Haxby Road Primary Academy, York;The Sandon School, Chelmsford;Burgess Park Nursery, Camberwell;Avenue Nursery, Hornsey;Sydenham School, Sydenham; andSt. Eanswythe’s Primary School, Folkestone.

Child Minding: Registration

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many child minders were listed on Ofsted's Early Years register in each year since 2010-11.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Table 1 of the statistical release “Registered Providers and Places in England: December 2008 onwards” sets out the number of childminders registered on Ofsted’s Early Years Register. This data is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/registered-childcare-providers-and-places-in-england-december-2008-onwards. Table 1 of the statistical release “Childcare providers and inspections” for each year sets out the number of childminders registered on Ofsted’s Early Years Register. This data is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/early-years-and-childcare-statistics.

Children: Disadvantaged

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will respond to the recommendations of the report by the Sutton Trust entitled Closing Gaps Early, published in September 2017.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department for Education has noted the publication of the Sutton Trust’s report “Closing Gaps Early’’ (September 2017) on the role of early years policy in promoting social mobility in England. My officials will consider the research findings and recommendations.

Adoption

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of children in the UK who are waiting to be adopted.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The adoption leadership board quarterly data reports at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-leadership-board-quarterly-data-reports-2016-to-2017 show that there were 2,030 children in England who were waiting to be placed for adoption with a placement order at 30 September 2016. This is interpreted to be the number of looked after children in England at 30 September 2016 who had an active adoption decision and were the subject of a placement order but had not yet been placed with their adoptive family at that time.Equivalent information for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not available in the Department.

Care Homes: Children

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she expects the Residential Care Leadership Board to report on progress in implementing Sir Martin Narey's recommendations in his report Residential Care in England.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department is committed to setting up a Residential Care Leadership Board to drive significant improvements in the children’s residential care system in England. We have already advertised for the position of chair and the board will be up and running in the New Year (2018).The board will initially focus on Sir Martin Narey’s recommendations for improving commissioning practices and developing ways of “Staying Close” for care leavers after they move out of residential homes.Any plans for reporting on progress will be discussed with the chair on appointment.

Children in Care

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2017 to Question 6504, what assessment she has made of the reasons why the number of looked after children placed in care homes, secure units and hostels outside their council boundary in England increased from 2,610 in March 2012 to 4,020 in March 2016.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The government is clear that the needs of the child are vital when making decisions about the right care placement. Local authorities have a statutory duty to consider the right placement for the child and take into account a number of factors, one of which is placement area. Sometimes circumstances make it the right decision for a local authority to identify a placement outside of the child’s local area. For example, when a child is at risk from child sexual exploitation, trafficking or gang violence or when they need very specialist care. Out of area placements require approval from the Director of Children’s Services, and Ofsted monitors all placement decisions including out of area placements and challenges local authorities that need to improve. We are setting up a Residential Care Leadership Board, which will bring together representatives from local authorities and providers to explore how to improve commissioning of children’s residential placements. As part of this work, we expect the Board to assess data on the use of out of area placements.

Children in Care: Missing Persons

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2017 to Question 6504, what assessment she has made of the reasons why 50 per cent of looked after children who are reported missing are children placed in residential accommodation.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Annual data recorded to 31 March 2017 showed that 50% of missing incidents were by children placed across a range of residential accommodation, including secure units, children’s homes or semi-independent living accommodation.Local authorities are improving data collections to include all incidents of missing and so the numbers recorded are increasing (although the data is still categorised as experimental). We will continue to assess data quality.Many residential settings do important work to provide placements and support for children with complex histories of going missing. In 2015, the government introduced Quality Standards to improve the care in homes and strengthened regulations. We have also placed a duty on local authorities to report all incidences of children going missing from care. Children’s homes must have policies to stop children going missing; and when children do go missing, they must respond in line with local police protocols.The government considers this an important issue. The Missing Children and Adults strategy, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/missing-children-and-adults-strategy which focuses primarily on vulnerable people who go missing within England and Wales, provides a core framework in which we can all work to deliver collectively the best protection possible for missing children, adults and their families.

Women and Equalities

Government Equalities Office: Behavioural Insights Team

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2017 to Question 9679, on Government Equalities Office: Behavioural Insights Team, how many projects the Behavioural Insights Team worked on; and what the goals of each such project were.

Mr Robert Goodwill: One project has been contracted to the Behavioural Insights Team over January 2017 – July 2018. This was with the objective to carry out research into parental decision-making concerning the sharing of childcare responsibilities and return to work and to design interventions to test which factors encourage parents to equalise the gender balance of work and childcare responsibilities.